12 Angry Lifeforms
by boxerboo
Summary: Trial of a Timelord redux? The verdict. Complete in 4 chapters.
1. Chapter 1

The Judge completed his summing up in a disinterested tone, as if he was reading a textbook to a class of particularly bored students. He had summarised the prosecution case with a completeness noticeably lacking in his coverage of the defence. There was little doubt about his feelings in the matter.

"You have a grave responsibility, members of the jury. The death penalty is mandatory in these circumstances. The bench will not entertain a plea for clemency."

He nodded to the Judoon clerk of the court who rose. "The alternate jurors are dismissed," he grunted.

Jurors 13 and 14 stood. They were immediately enveloped in a haze of disassembling molecules and transported away.

The remaining jurors moved towards the door of the jury room by whatever means of locomotion was natural to them. Some of them paused to look back at the forlorn figure located in the transparent cube in the centre of the courtroom.

Most of them didn't.

.

The jury room was dominated by a long table with space for all the jurors around it. The outer wall was shuttered. Opposite was a sheer metal wall broken only by a single small screen and computer terminal. At the far end was a set of doors leading into an all- purpose ablutions area. There were no windows. It was functional and soulless.

The clerk went around the assembled group, checking them off his list.

Satisfied, he left the room and there was a pneumatic hiss as the door closed behind him. This was followed by four electronic beeps as the exit code was set.

"I didn't know we were locked in," said someone.

"Normal procedure, I understand," said the foreman. "Now, if we can take our places in accordance with our jury numbers we can get started."

The group moved to their alloted positions around the long table as follows:

**Juror 1 **- The foreman. Dedicated to the rituals and procedures of the court and determined to do things by the book. Humanoid, dressed in immaculate white. High forehead and dark, tight hair. The MOROK representative.

**Juror 2 –** A square, traction-powered cabinet with a transparent dome housing a small, tentacled starfish with bulging eyes. Shrill, truculent and scheming. The representative from ARCTURUS.

**Juror 3 **– Squat, bullish, single-minded, aggressive. The SONTARAN representative.

**Juror 4** – A silver hybrid. A blank metal plate with a parody of human features for a face and square lugs on the side of his head. Rational, methodical and unswayed by emotion or sentimentality. The CYBERMAN representative.

**Juror 5** – An imperious woman. Hawkishly pinch-faced with long, flaxen hair. Dressed in medieval attire with a small circlet crown on her head. MORGAINE the sorceress.

**Juror 6** – A pot-bellied, baby-faced, green-skinned creature. Naked for the hunt. A SLITHEEN.

**Juror 7** – An anthropoid. A hulking brute of a figure in leather armour. Barely capable of serving on a jury due to his pitiful intellect. The OGRON representative.

**Juror 8** - An attractive humanoid female in military uniform. Luxurious red-hair and a hint of freckles around her green eyes. The DRAHVIN representative.

**Juror 9** – A helmet-shaped head and plexiglass eyes. He wears a cloak of office from the Red Planet. Ice-Lord Alixxyr, representative of the ICE WARRIORS.

**Juror 10 **– An icon of hate. Evil, bigoted and convinced of its own superiority to all other lifeforms. The ultimate racist. The DALEK representative.

**Juror 11** – Nebulous, disembodied. Semi-transparent. A magenta and blue outline, hinting of a humanoid form and shimmering gently. The GELTH representative.

**Juror 12 **– A chubby-faced human. Dressed in a religious habit. Disinterested, easily distracted. He would rather be somewhere else. THE MEDDLING MONK.

The Morok foreman tapped the table to gain the attention of his colleagues. "I am not here to prescribe procedure. I am here to ensure that we all are able to contribute freely and fully. As you see we have a terminal. If we wish to review the evidence we can do so."

"Expedite!" grated the Dalek, dangerously.

" Ahem. Certainly. You heard the judge. A man's life is at stake. We can discuss the case first and then vote -"

"I understand that a preliminary vote is customary in these circumstances." This from the Cybernetic voice of Juror 4.

"We can do it that way if you wish. Is that agreed?"

There was a general murmur of assent around the table.

"Right. On the question of the prisoner known as 'The Doctor'. All those in favour of a Guilty verdict please raise an appendage or otherwise indicate."

The Foreman started to count around the room, beginning with himself.

"1...2...3...4...5...6...7...err...7...8...9...10...11." There was a surprised pause. "And Not Guilty?"

All eyes, eyesticks and other optical equivalents in the room turned to stare at juror 8.

Slowly, the Drahvin raised her hand.

(End of Chapter 1)


	2. Chapter 2

The Morok foreman cleared his throat somewhat nervously. "That's eleven in favour of a guilty vote and one against." He sat down and blinked around the room, clearly nonplussed.

There was a babble around the room until the Sontaran banged his fist on the table. He addressed himself to juror 8.

"You sat in that court and heard the evidence, like we did. Yet you vote not guilty? Explain, female."

The foreman tried to interrupt. "Look, all communication should come through this chair-" He subsided into silence at the dangerous, withering look from the Sontaran.

"I don't mind explaining." said the Drahvin, and all eyes turned to her. "The case against the Doctor is that he has materially interfered to the detriment of our races."

"He stranded a group of your people on an exploding planet." piped up Arcturus.

"Cold-blooded murder," hissed Alixxyr at her side.

She waved a dismissive hand. "Maaga was an outcast. A fanatic. She waged war on the Rills long after the peace had been brokered. She was the only Drahvin lost on that planet. The rest were clones. She was a criminal already. No loss. The Doctor has had no contact with the Drahvin Empire since then. He has not detrimentally affected our race. Therefore, Not Guilty."

There was a momentary silence.

"But it is not _just _individual races. There is the collective responsibility to consider." stated the Gelth, her form shimmering with a fiery radiance.

"The Doctor is the Oncoming Storm." grated the Dalek, chillingly. "He must be exterminated."

"I understand the collective responsibility," said the Drahvin. "All I ask is that we discuss the question further. Delve a little deeper."

"The man is a meddler. He must be expunged!" said Morgaine with feeling.

"Indeed?" said the Drahvin. She leaned forward. "Would you have all meddlers 'expunged'? What would juror 12 have to say about that?"

All eyes turned to the Meddling Monk. "Ah, yes. I agree...no...wait a moment...perhaps not..." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

The Morok foreman tapped the table. "Perhaps if we go around the table. Try to convince the Drahvin representative." He turned to the Arcturan at his left. "You first."

"The decision became clear to me early on," said the shrill voice. "The Doctor did not even speak in his own defence – "

"He has the right to silence," said the Drahvin.

"Because he knew he would incriminate himself," growled the Sontaran. "Look at the facts. All the evidence presented. He destroyed the whole Dalek solar system with a stellar manipulator. Is that not enough for you?"

The Drahvin said nothing. It was her turn to look uncomfortable.

"You next," said the foreman to juror 4.

"The Doctor's crime's against the Cyber-race are well documented. He must pay for his interference."

"Why?" asked the Drahvin.

" The Doctor's crimes against the Cyber-race -"

"Yes we heard that. I'm asking why ."

"Explain."

" The Doctor is out there, a prisoner. He isn't actively involved in anything. It seems that you want to punish him for his past. In human terms, how would you describe that?"

There was a hiss from the Ice-Lord at position 9. " Sweet revenge."

"Exactly," said the Drahvin. "Since when have the Cybermen practiced revenge? A human emotion."

There was a murmur around the room.

The Sontaran banged the table again. "Why are we listening to this! The female is weak. She spins us tales and we are listening." He turned to face the Drahvin directly. "Do you really think you can change the minds of us all? Especially that?"

He pointed to the Dalek opposite. "The Oncoming Storm," it grated quietly. "The world-killer."

The Drahvin stood. "This 'justice' is a new concept to us all," she said quietly. "We have gathered here under the Shadow Proclamation to reach a decision. We have an obligation to consider all the evidence placed before us. "

The Slitheen spoke, "If you maintain your position then this will be – I think it is called - a hung jury. He will be tried again. The probability of a guilty verdict is overwhelming. There are many races that can be called as jurors."

The Drahvin sighed. "You may be right."

"Then you change your decision?" said Morgaine, eagerly.

The Drahvin took a long look around the room. At length she addressed herself to the Morok.

"Mr Foreman. I propose a second vote. By secret ballot. I will abstain. If all eleven votes are guilty then I will change my vote and we can return a verdict. But if there is one vote of not guilty then we talk it out."

"That is the proposal in front of us, jurors. Agreed?"

"Anything to get this over and done with," said the Monk, with feeling.

"There are canisters in front of you at your workstations. There is parchment and a stylus available. Record your verdicts, seal it in the canisters and pass them to me."

The Drahvin turned away as the eleven small cannisters were sealed and passed to the foreman.

The Morok unscrewed the first anonymous receptacle and read the result.

He continued, his voice becoming more flat and knowing as he went on.

"Guilty...Guilty...Guilty...Guilty...(facing the far wall the Drahvin was motionless)...Guilty...Guilty...Guilty...Guilty...Guilty...Guilty..."

A pause. The Morok rose to his feet.

"Not Guilty!"

(End of Chapter 2)


	3. Chapter 3

As the Morok read out the single Not Guilty verdict there was a general groan around the table.

The Sontaran strode around to position 12 and leaned over the Monk. "I think we can all guess why you changed your vote, you weak-willed fool! You are of the same race after all -"

"Hold on - " protested the Monk.

"This was a secret ballot," interjected the foreman. "We all agreed that."

"There are no secrets in here!" spat out Morgaine.

"He didn't change his vote. I did."

All eyes turned as the words hissed out across the table and the Ice-Lord rose. "The female has made some interesting points and gambled for support. I respect that. This is a fledgling concept to us all, this 'justice'. It deserves a full airing. I reserve the right to change my vote again if necessary, but as of now the count is 10–2. "

The Sontaran stamped angrily down the room, looking daggers at the Drahvin and the Ice-Lord sitting side-by-side. He banged his way out through the doors into the ablutions area.

"This could mean war," grated the Dalek.

"I think this would be an appropriate time to take a break," said the Morok, anxiously.

There was a general movement away from the table.

The Morok foreman wandered over to the shuttered wall and touched a switch. The shutters opened revealing a massive slab of thick, tinted glass. He stood looking out at the impossible scene for what seemed an eternity. There was a noise at his side as the Drahvin juror joined him.

"It's ironic really," she said as she watched the immense waves of plasma licking around them."My skin is very sensitive and burns quite easily, even in the mildest sunlight. Yet here we are, floating on the surface of a star."

"There's nothing to worry about," said the Morok. "The force-field is impregnable and the glass filters down the glare millions of times over."

"The ultimate security system,"observed the Drahvin. "What do you do, back on your homeworld?"

"Just a bureaucrat. A stylus-pusher. I was selected by lottery for this task." He looked back out at the boiling scene. " I would have counted my life wasted if I had missed this."

"You're doing a fine job. And let's face it, the Doctor hasn't prevented a Morok from running the show here, has he? Nothing detrimental, you might say."

The foreman looked sharply at the retreating woman as she crossed to the other end of the window, where the hulking figure of the Ogron representative was staring open-mouthed and uncomprehending at the scene outside. For a few moments she stood motionless alongside him, dwarfed.

At length she turned to him and looked up. "You haven't said much." she said quietly.

The Ogron seemed surprised to be addressed. "Ogron keeps mouth shut," he grunted.

"Why are you here then? You have as much right to your say as any of us."

The Ogron glanced across the room. "Ogron told to say nothing and vote guilty."

The Drahvin followed his gaze to the Dalek.

"Do you always have to be their lapdogs? Look at you. You have the right to develop your own ways of thinking like any other race. You could be a proud people instead of just slaves for hire. Think about it. Think!"

Stroking his chin, the giant watched her go back to her place at the table.

Almost simultaneously as the Drahvin sat down the Sontaran juror banged back into the room and strode to his place, where he sat glaring around him.

"Perhaps we can resume now," said the foreman, closing the window shutters. There was a general shuffle as the jurors returned to the table. "Who would like to say something?"

The Drahvin raised her hand.

"Why am I not surprised? " muttered the Sontaran, sourly.

"The point was raised earlier that one of the Doctor's own race is present," said the woman.

At the end of the table the Monk, who had been picking at a recalcitrant fingernail, looked up sharply. "Me? What of it?"

"Alone amongst all of us you have been lifted from an earlier timeline. Do you realise that if you condemn the prisoner you will be committing genocide ? He is the last of the Timelords."

"The last?" mouthed the Monk. "Are you sure? What about...well...you know...me?"

The Drahvin held up a small data-disc. "I have the proof here. But do you really want to know?"

The Monk shook his head hurriedly. "I'll have to think about this. The last of us..."

"This is a mere distraction," piped up the Gelth. "The Doctor denied my people the warmth of blood coursing through flesh. He must pay."

The Drahvin stood. "That is incorrect. The Gelth lost their corporeal form as a result of the Time War. The Doctor actively sought a compromise. Mr Foreman may I ?"

She crossed to the wall-mounted terminal behind her and inserted the disc. She pressed a few buttons and the screen lit.

"This is only a temporary solution. I will take you to a planet where you can build permanent bodies..." The accented words echoed around the room.

"Where did you get that?" trilled Arcturus.

"Never you mind. I have lodged this evidence with the court and it has been verified." The Drahvin turned to the Gelth. "This shows that the Doctor actively tried to assist your race."

"Why was this not brought up by the defence?" asked the Gelth.

"The Valeyard was court-appointed," hissed the Ice-Lord juror. "It was clear to me that his performance was perfunctory."

"Mr Foreman, I would like to call for another vote. An open one." said the Drahvin.

"I agree." hissed Alixxyr.

"Very well. Please indicate as before. All those in favour of Guilty?" he counted. "And Not Guilty?"

**GUILTY **Arcturus, Sontaran, Cyberman, Morgaine, Slitheen, Dalek.

**NOT GUILTY **Drahvin, Ice-Lord, Gelth, Monk.

The Morok looked sheepishly around the room, then raised his hand. "I vote Not Guilty". He looked over to the Ogron. " Juror number 7. You have not voted either way."

"The Ogron votes Guilty" grated the Dalek.

"No."

"You will obey!"

The Ogron looked up. Proud, defiant. " Not Guilty!"

"The vote is tied at six each."

The Dalek spoke. "I will end this farce." With surprising speed it span and approached the Drahvin juror. "You are the cause of this. The Doctor must die for his crimes against my race. He will not escape Dalek justice!"

The stubby gun-stick centred on the woman. There was a hum of power and, shockingly, the Dalek fired.

(END OF CHAPTER 3)


	4. Chapter 4

There was uproar in the jury room as the Dalek opened fire on the Drahvin.

Only it didn't.

There was a whine of power as it charged its gun then, click-click. Nothing happened. The Dalek eyestick looked down at the weapon and it tried again. Whine...click- click.

The was a hiss from the Ice-Lord that may have been a chuckle. "The Dalek representative seems to have forgotten that a Hostile Action Dampner field operates here. No weapons will function."

The Drahvin looked up coolly at her would-be assailant. "So this is Dalek 'justice', " she said.

The Cyberman at position 4 spoke. "Resume your position. Remain there until we give you leave. Or there will be...consequences."

There was a moment's hesitation then the machine glided wordlessly back to its position.

"This is outrageous," shrilled Arcturus. "We have all agreed to the protocols of this place, which do not include assassination of fellow jurors! I wish to change my vote. Not Guilty."

"And I." This from the Slitheen. "We will not be coerced."

"The vote is now 8-4 in favour of acquittal." said the Morok.

The Sontaran cursed and banged the table.

"You fools!" snarled Morgaine. "We will never have a better opportunity to dispose of Merlin!"

"Who?" said a couple of jurors, simultaneously.

"The prisoner. Merlin. Oh, I forget. He is called the Doctor in this universe."

There was a momentary silence. Then the Ice-Lord raised a hand. "Mr Foreman. On a point of procedure. I would like you to check the juror eligibility conditions under the articles of the Shadow Proclamation."

"Certainly. I think I know the section." The Morok crossed to the terminal and operated the keyboard. He scrolled through a dense legal text and suddenly gave a muffled exclamation.

"Extra-dimensional jurors are ineligible to serve. It is quite clear that there has been an administrative error here."

"How is this rectified?" asked the Ice-Lord.

The Morok returned to his position at the head of the table. "At the discretion of the foreman a mis-trial may be recommended or," he smiled briefly at the Drahvin, "the foreman may administer the ineligible vote as he or she deems fit."

He turned to face the surprised-looking Morgaine. "I opt to administer the vote in this instance. Juror 5 votes Not Guilty."

"Well!" exclaimed Morgaine, and sat back in her seat, arms folded and furious.

"The vote is 9-3 for acquittal."

Another desk-rattling thump from the Sontaran.

The Drahvin looked across at the Cyberman juror and addressed him directly. "Well, in view of this are you going to hold out for your revenge after all?"

There was an electronic rasp, almost as if the silver giant was clearing his throat. "You have made several interesting points that are well taken. However, there is one fact that outweighs all others. The Doctor is a proven world-killer. He destroyed the whole of the Skaroan solar system with a stellar manipulator. For this reason alone he must face the ultimate punishment."

"What he said!" agreed the Sontaran, loudly. "You can forget all of the other evidence."

"Interesting you should say that," hissed Alixxyr. He was at the terminal and turned to face the jurors. "I have just been communicating with my fleet who are awaiting my return at a safe distance. During the course of the communication I had cause to check the Universal Positioning System to facilitate the Trans-Mat coordinates."

"So ?" asked the Sontaran. "What has that got to so with anything?"

"I double-checked the spatial and temporal coordinates for this place. I would like to read them to you." The Ice-Lord intoned a long series of numbers and vectors.

After he had finished the Dalek swung his eyestalk to look at him. "Impossible," it grated flatly.

"What's impossible?" asked the Drahvin.

The Cyberman answered. "Those are the coordinates for Solaris Skaroa."

"The Dalek sun!" shrilled Arcturus.

" This is a trick.." muttered the Sontaran.

"No. The cordinates are verifiable. The temporal element confirms it as contemporary. This is no trick. We are on the surface of the Dalek sun which the Doctor was supposed to have destroyed."

The Drahvin gripped the Ice-Lord's arm and spoke quickly. "It is possible that the Doctor only _claimed_ to have destroyed the Dalek sun. He probably detonated an uninhabited system. This is entirely consistent with his known philosophy. He is no world-killer!"

"How can you know such a thing. Where is your evidence?"

The Drahvin faced the Sontaran coolly. "We are standing on it."

She turned back to the Cyberman. "This changes things." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. I now have a reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the prisoner. Cybermen do not engage in acts of revenge. Not Guilty."

"And you?" To the Sontaran.

He stared back at her, defiantly.

The Ogron spoke. "You said we could forget all the other evidence." The gutteral words hung in the air.

There was a long silence. Then the Sontaran slumped back in his seat like a deflated balloon. "Not guilty," he said. through clenched teeth.

There was a movement at the head of the table as the Dalek glided over to the shuttered wall. All eyes were on it as it passed its sensor pad over the photocell and the shutters opened. The machine looked out at the surface of the star.

There was a noise at its side.

"It's beautiful," said the Drahvin.

"Solaris Skaroa." The Dalek's normally strident voice was hushed, almost awed. "Somewhere out there is my home." The eyestalk swung around until it rested on the Morok foreman. The words when they came, were quiet, barely audible, but noble.

"Not guilty."

.

EPILOGUE

The Doctor awoke with a start, rising from the battered couch like a jack-in-the box. Around him the Tardis control room purred with suppressed power.

He passed a hand through his mass of hair and made a face at his companion. "Pheew! What a bonkers dream!"

"Dream?"

"Yep. There was this...hold on...darn it!" He snapped his fingers and looked frustrated. "It's gone. You know what dreams are like." The Doctor stretched then examined the back of his left hand in some detail. He held it out for the girl to see.

"Look at that. See the hairs standing up? Residual static. Like you sometimes get in a charged-ion environment or as a result of a Trans-Mat beam."

His companion leaned forward, carefully keeping her own hands concealed behind her back. "Oh yes, I see."

"I hope the Tardis isn't throwing a wobbly." The Doctor turned away and scanned the console. " No faults showing. Hey! We've landed!"

"I didn't like to wake you."

"Nice atmosphere. A bit warmish. Two suns. You'd better be careful with that skin of yours...hello." The Doctor turned to his companion." So you've been into the Tardis database, have you?"

The girl shrugged. "You were snoring your head off. I was bored."

The Doctor flicked a switch on the console. "Hmm. Interesting that. Your final hit. The Drahvins." The Doctor seemed to be looking into the middle-distance. " I only met them once. A long, long time ago." He pulled on his distinctive jacket and turned for the exit. He paused for a moment. "You know, you could pass for a Drahvin. Except for the hair of course. The Drahvins were all blondes."

The girl with the luxurious red hair; with a hint of freckles around her green eyes and who burned way too easily in the noonday sun allowed herself a tight smile of satisfaction as she followed the Doctor outside.

THE END


End file.
